Apparatus conventionally used for extraction of oil from vegetables, by a solvent extraction process, normally involves a series of motor driven movable strainers or buckets in which the vegetable material is contained, which are pulled through or rotate inside an extractor casing repeatedly and continuously. A solvent is sprayed upon the material in the moving buckets to extract the vegetable oil therefrom. It is also known to support vegetable material to be extracted upon moving performated conveyor belts, to move the vegetable oil through solvent treatment zones, and dump the residue at the end of the conveyor after the oil has been extracted.
These prior art arrangements all involve substantial, massive moving parts, for conveyance of the vegetable material, and are hence complicated to build and expensive to operate. They have substantial power requirements, since comparatively large amounts of vegetable material must be treated in such an apparatus, to make its operation economically feasible.